APC Suspends 11 Loyalists of Mohammed in Kwara

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has suspended 11 members of the party, who are loyal to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for instituting a court case against the party and Kwara State chairman of the party Hon. Abdullahi Samari.

The 11 Kwara APC members had approached the court to demand the removal of the approved State Caretaker Committee Chairman contrary to the directive of National Executive Committee (NEC) of June 25, 2020, which directed that no member of the party should institute any action in court.

Mohammed’s group had opposed the removal of Mr. Bashir Bolarinwa as the caretaker chairman of the party in the state.

This has led to the protracted crisis, which has created two factions and pitted Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq against the minister in a supremacy battle for the control of the soul of the party in the state.

However, the suspension letter sighted by THISDAY yesterday was dated February 5, 2021, and signed by the National Secretary, Caretaker/Extra-ordinary National Convention Planning Committee, Senator James Akpanudoedehe and addressed to Kwara State chairman of the party.

The letter read: “The Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee considered the decision of the Kwara State Caretaker Committee dated February 5, 2021 on the resolution of the Kwara State Disciplinary Committee to suspend erring members who instituted Suit No : CV/241/2021 between Joseph Tsado and 10 ors vs All Progressives Congress & 2 ors against the party.

“After due consideration of the decision, the members of the Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee found the decision meritorious on the grounds that the members who instituted the above mentioned suit against the party had flouted the directive of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of June 25, 2020, wherein the NEC resolved that no member of the party should institute any action in court and to withdraw all pending cases in Court in order to explore the internal conflict resolution mechanisms of the party.

“Consequently, the Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee ratifies the decision of the Kwara State Caretaker Committee and upholds suspension of the following Party members.”

Mohammed’s loyalists suspended are: Joseph Tsado, Bamidele Ogunbayo, Issa Fulani, Imam Abdulkadir, Morufu Olaniyi Yusuf, Saludeen Lukman, Kerebu Fatai, Bola Ajani, Nurudeen Fasasi, Salman Shehu Babatunde and Abdullateef Ahmed Kolawole.

The ruling party categorically stated that this suspension constitutes a bar on the above-named persons from participating in the ongoing registration and revalidation of membership exercise.

The APC national secretariat approval followed a notice of disciplinary action letter signed by the state Caretaker Committee Chairman, Samari Abubakar and Mohammed Mustapha Salman, Secretary of the Caretaker Committee.